Overhead trolley for hoisting apparatus



(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 20, 1897.

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UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE.,

CHARLES W. HUNT, OF WEST NEW BRIGHTN, NEW YORK.

OVERHEAD TROLLEY FOR HOlSTlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,119, dated April 20, 1897. Application filed January 6, 1897. Serial No. 6l8,124. (No model.)

To all whom it may conccrn:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residin g at West New Brighton, in the county of Richnond and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Overhead Trolleys for Hoisting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent No. 538,610, granted to me April 30, 1895, an overhead trolley is represented in which the frame carrying the article to be moved is supported on three wheels, the central one being slightly larger and having a cylindrical perphery and the end ones having guide-fianges and resting lightly upon the track, the principal weight being carried by the central wheel; and in Letters Patent No. &13,004, granted October 15, 1889, a triplex hoist-ing mechanism is made use of.

I have found it difiicult to apply chain blocks or hoists to overhead trolley mechanism, because in many places there is not sufficient head-room for the chain-blocks to be Suspended below the trolley, and in efforts to combine with the trolley a chain hoist or block the weight of the article suspended has tended to bind the wheels of the overhead trolley against the track in such a way as to prevent the easy movement of the trolley after the article has been Suspended.

The object of the present invention is to combine a chain-hoist with a trolley in such a manner as to occupy but little space verticall y and so that the weight is Suspended directly below the supporting-wheels, so that little or no lateral strain comes upon the wheels or the trolley.

In carrying out this invention I apply the differential or other hoisting pulleys directly upon the frane of the trolley at one side of the hoisting-wheels and place a guide-sheave in the trolley-frame, so that the chain or rope passing over the same is directly beneath the track and the supporting-wheels, whereby the weight can be raised as high as possible, and it Will hang directly beneath the supportingwheels, and hence can be moved from place to place with theirolley and without undue lateral strain upon the wheels or frane of the trolley, and the actuating differential or endless chain of the hoisting mechanism is upon The track A is of any desired character.

I have represented the same as a flanged rail bolted to the pendent bracket B. This bracket may be of any ordinary character, and it is connected with a ceiling, wall, or other support. The central wheel E is cylindrical and the end wheels F are fianged to act as guides-wheels upon the track, and the frame C is preferably constructed so that the principal weight is taken by the central wheel E upon the track and but little Weight comes upon the end wheels' F, such wheels actin g principally as guide-wheels and keeping the wheel E upon the track.

The france O is extended out laterally to receive a tripleX or differential hoist of any desired character, the devices represented being generally similar to those shown in Patent No. &13,004 and do not require further description, it being understood that the chain G is endless and passes over the chainwheel H, and this in turn acts upon gearing to give to the chain-wheel I a slow but powerful movement, and in so doing the chain K is drawn up to raise the weight, and this chain K instead of han gin g vertical, as usual, is passed over the guide-sheave L to the article to be raised, and this guide-sheave is supported by the bracket-arms C', extending down from the frame C below the track A, and the position of the parts is such that the chain K in passing up to the guide-sheave L is directly below the track A and the supporting-wheel E. I-Ience there is not any lateral strain upon -the track or little or no tendency to bind the guide-wheels F or to cause undue friction between them and the track, and it is simply necessary to make the frame C and bracket-arms C' sufficiently strong to resist the strain of the chain as it passes around the guide-sheave and the chain-wheel I.

When the endless chain G is being acted lCO upon, there is a tendeney to draw the franie C down and cause the wheels F to bind or the fraine C to press against the side of the track A. For this reason the rolls N N are provided in jaws O, that project fron the f'ainc C, and these rolls N N' are near the bottom of the track-bar A and against the outer side thereof, so that these rolls prevent friction against the side of the track while the chain G is being acted upon.

I do not limit nyself to any particular charaeter of triplex or differential hoist nounted upon the frane of the overhead trolley, as these nay vary according to circumstances.

I have represented two rollers N N' as at opposite sides of the jaws holding the guidesheave L. It, however, is not necessary to use both of these rolls, as one roll, N', is usually sufficient.

Iu Figs. 1 and 3 I have reprcsented'a guideroll P upon a vertical pivot extending down from the frane C such roll having` a fiange upon it passin under the top lange of the track at the back, the object being to prevent the trolley froni juinping` off the track when there is not any load upon it and when it nay be moved suddenly froni one place to another. The same object can be aecoinplished by a finger extending down froni the frame and shaped similar to the roll to pass in under the top iange of the track, such finger or roll not touehin` the track in the normal position of the trolley.

I have found it advautagcous to cast the frane C and the back fraine C with connecti ng; fianges or webs C that extend down between the respective wheels, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, in order that the back 'tranie C may take its proper share of weight in supporting the pivots of the wheels E and F.

I elain as ny invention- 1. The combination with a differential or power hoist and over-head trolley-wheels and frane and elevated track, of a guide-sheavc supported in the frane of the trolley and over which the hoisting chain or rope passes, such guide-sheave being below the track and with one edge in line with the supporting-wheels of the trolley, so that the weight Suspended by the trolley hangs directly below the supportin g-wheels of such trolley, and a roll supported on the frane at the side of the track near its lower edge, substantially as set fortl.

2. The overhead track in con'bination with the trolley-fra1ne,eentralwheel and end guidewheels upon the track, and a guide-sheave supported in brackets extendin down [rom the frane and a hoisting-chain passing over such guide-sheave, a ehain-wheel for the hoisting-chain, an endlcss chain and chain-whcel acted upon by the same and gearing` intervenng between the chain-wheel for the hoistingchain and the chain-wheel tor the endless chain for giving notiou to the forner, substantially as set torth.

33. The overhead track in combination with the trolley-frane,central wheel and end guidewheels upon the track, a guide-sheave supported with one edge below the track, a chain passing over the said guide-sheave to the weight to be raised, chain-wheels for acting upon such ehain and a guide extending` down froni the bottom and beneath the track at the back upper edge, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this th (lay of December, 1896.

CIIAS. HUNT.

Vitnesses:

GEO. T. PIXCKNEY, T. ILxviLaN). 

